Creating A Home Office Space

Every home is different, but in each one there is a place where the work gets done. You may pay bills at the dining room table. You might do all of your banking at the computer desk. There is business to attend to and space is usually in short supply.

When I reorganized my craft room, I sacrificed our broken-down computer desk for more floor space. It has been a wonderful blessing for my card-making business, but it left our bill paying center without a home. We needed a place for the everyday office supplies that would be safe, hidden from sight and out of the way.

And that's where one of my favorite pieces of furniture saved the day. I adore this telephone stand, mostly because it came from my aunt and uncle's home. The other part is that it is the perfect size and layout for the jobs we need it to perform. Plus it's the exact width of the tissue box cover my wonderful husband so thoughtfully and skillfully made for me! Isn't it beautiful?

If there's one thing that annoys me it's having to run all over the house to find the little things I need to accomplish one task. You can save time, energy and frustration by filling a central location with everything you need for those office-related tasks.

In the flip-down top section of my stand are all of the bill-paying bits. Envelopes, stamps, the budget book and address labels are all in one place. There are two books full of business cards, addresses, phone numbers and other contact information, and it's a blessing to have them right underneath the phone for easy access.

In the little drawer there is plenty of space for all those tiny bits - paper clips, safety pins, markers, pen and pencil, plus some extra odds and ends that just needed a home. If you've got way too many of something, donate them to your local school, library or thrift store. You may never need 27,000 paper clips, but the few that you have on hand will be within reach.

The shelves at the bottom are perfect for all of our business' shipping supplies and other packing necessities. When you're not using things, they can be tucked away in an organized way. You may have different needs, so find what works best for you. If you do a lot at the computer, you might want a filing system near the desk. If you normally work at the kitchen table, invest in a rolling cart that can be wheeled out of the way. Think creatively and find something that really works well for you!

Sound like an awful lot of work? Take just a few minutes to clear out the old, sort, organize and restock as needed. You'll be able to breathe a deep cleansing breath because you can actually function again!